Radiator-cap for automobiles.



E. B. NELSON.

RADIATOR GAP FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION 211 111) mam, 1910.

1,020,437. Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

VX I V 5 5 r M, Mum, flttgmuga with a rearwardly extendingear 8 throughterior' to fit the pipe 2. The upper end of the inside face of the wallis slightly beveled so that the cap will fit down tightly thereon.

-.UN1TED. STATES r'ATENT OFFICE.

EDM UND B. NEL SON, OF CADIZ, OHIO;

RADIATOR-CAP FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Lette'rs Patent.

tomobiles, of which the following is a speci fication. 4 I

My invention relates to caps which are used to close the water inletopening of automobile radiators, and the object of my invention is toprovide a cap of this character, formed with a hinged cover, the coverbeing provided with aspring acting to open it when the cover isreleased, and with a locking device \whereb the cover is norleakage ofsteam or water, but which may be opened without touching the coveritself, by simply operating the lock.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, and toacquire a knowledge of the details of construction, reference is to behad to the following description andv accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of an automobile radiator with my improved capapplied thereto. Fig. 2 is a diametrical section of the cap, the latchbeing part-1y broken away. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the cap Fig. 4 is adiametrical section of the modification.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indi cated in all the views of the drawings by the samereferencecharacters. 7

Referring to these figures, 2 designates the ordinary inlet tube of anautomobile radiator, screw threaded on its exterior. These tubes areordinarily closed by a screw cap. After the automobile has been run forsome time, these caps become extremely hot, and therefore are difficultto detach.

My improved cap consists of the cylindrical wall 3 which isscrew-threaded on its in- The cap is designated 4; and is provided witha central depressed portion 5 which fits down into the bevel on'theinside face of the wall 3. The wall 3 is provided with the upstandinglugs 6 to which the cap is hinged by means ofa pintle 7. The lugs arespaced from each other, and the cap is provided which the pintle 7passes. The ear 8 isextended rearwardly beyond the pintle, and connectedto it is a coiled retraction spring 9 whose lower end is attached in anysuitable manner to the lower end of the wa'll3. Preferably, the spring 9is contained within a housing 10 whichis formed inpart of the v PatentedMar. 19, 1912. Application filed February 10, 1910. Serial No. 543,143.

wall 3 and which is slotted at its upper end, i I

as at 11, to accommodate the rear end of the ear 8,. The lower end ofthe spring"9 is held in place by a transverse pin 12. Diametricallyopposite to the hinged portion of the cover 4 is the downwardlyextending stud 13 which is formed with a bolt opening 14. The outer faceof this stud is rounded at its lower end. In order tolock the coverinplace, I provide a spring-impelled locking bolt or pin which ismounted'in any convenient manner and which engages with the stud 3.whenthe cover is closed. I

My preferable construction is shown'in ,Fig. 2 in which 15 designates asleeve formed with ratchet teeth'upon its outercxtremity. The inner endof the sleeve is provided with a base plate providing op posedprojecting ears 16 through which pass screws 17 which engage with thewall 3. The sleeve 15 is hollow, and passing through it is a locking pin18 whose inner end is rounded or beveled, as at 19,- and engages withthe perforations in the stud 13. The pin projects at its outer endbeyond the end of the sleeve 15 and is provided with-ratchet teeth whichabut against and correspond to the ratchet teeth on the sleeve 15. Theseratchet teeth are preferably formed on the inner face of a sleeve 20which surrounds the extremity of the pin and to which is attached aknurled head 21 by which the sleeve 20 may be rotated relatively to thesleeve 15. Preferably, the pin passes through the head and is enlargedat its extremity, as at 22, so that when the head is forced outward, thepin will also be forced outward, though the head may be rotated freelyupon the pin without turning the latter. is formed with a collar orshoulder 23, and placed between 'the shoulder 23 and the ex;

,tremity of the sleeve 15 is the coil spring 24 studgl3. When, however,the knurled head 21 is rotated, the cam-like faces of the The pinratchet teeth on the head will engage the ,so that the lid will alwaysbe brought 16,

tightly down into engagement with the up per end of the wall 3, thusmaking a steamand water-tight joint. Packing may also be used betweenthe lid and the wall 3.

In Fig. 4; I show another form of my invention. In this form, the wall 3is formed with the tapering perforation 25. The cover 26 is hingedwithin a curved housing 27, but is formed with a rounded cam 28, justinward of its hinge. The rounded face of this cam 28 bears against aspring-pressed plunger 29 which is carried by a coil spring 30.

This coil spring is preferably mounted in a cylindricalcasing 31 whichis attached'to or formed in part with, the inside face of the wall 3.This casing is slotted at its inner side to accommodate the downwardlyprojecting cam 28 when the lid is closed. Mounted upon the under side ofthe lid in guide eyes 32 and 33 is the locking pin 34: which is roundedat its extremity, as at 35, to engage with the perforation 25. Thislocking pin is forced outward by a coil spring 36 which'surrounds thepin, the other end of thespring being engaged against the inner end of.the guide eye 33. The locking pin is provided with afinger piece 37which proj ects out through a slot 38 in the lid 26. The outer end ofthe finger piece is enlarged between its enlarged outer end and theshank of the finger piece, and resting upon the outer face of the lid 26is the sliding cover plate 39 which covers the slot 38. In this form ofmy invention, the spring 36 tends to force the bolt outward andtherefore to keep in engagement with the perforation 25' when the lid isclosed. As soon, however, as the locking pin is drawn back, the spring30 will act to force the lid open.

It will be seen that in both forms of my inventi'on, the lid is held intight engagement with the Wall 3, by reason of the beveled or roundedextremity of the locking pin.- In both forms of my invention also, itwill be seen that the means whereby the lock is operated is so exposedto currents of air, and is so separated from the wall 3 and from the liditself as to be at all times cool so that the bolt-operating means maybe touched without chance of burning the hand.

The construction first shown and described has one advantage over thatlast described, in that the head 21 may'be'rotated to the degreerequired to retract the pin, and then be left in this position so thatthe cap may then be forced down and the head 21 turned a trifle-fartheruntil the ratchet teeth of the sleeve 20 slip into locked engagementwith the ratchet teeth on the sleeve 1 In order to providemeans wherebythe cap may be set with the knurled head 21 projecting in any convenientdirection, I provide a set screw 40 which, after the cap is rotated tothe proper position, will hold the cap set. The wall 3 is also providedwith an inwardly projecting flange 41 forming a shoulder upon which thestrainer 42 may be supported.

My invention is simple, may be cheaply made, is easily applied to all"automobile radiators now in use, and is entirely effective in practice.

Having thus described the invention, what Iclaim is: i

1. A cap ofthe character described comprising a cylindrical wall, a lidfitting the upper end of the wall'and hinged thereto, and formed with adownwardly extending perforated lug, the face of said lug being rounded,a spring acting to throw the lid open, a cylindrical casing mounted onthe wall of the cap and extending radially outward therefrom, the end ofsaid casing being formedwith an inclined cam face, a

longitudinally movable locking pin disposed within said casing extendingthrough the wall of the cap and having a tapered end adapted to engagein the perforated lug of the lid, a spring housed within the cylindricalcasing andacting to force the pin inward, and a head mounted on the pinand rotatable therewith, said head having a cam face mating with the camface on the end of the cylindrical casing whereby the head when turnedwill act to move the pin outward from its engagement with the said lug.-

2. A cap for the purpose described comprising a cylindrical wall havinga spring casing formed on the exterior thereof and extending parallelwith the axis of the wall, a spring located within the said casing, alid pivoted on the wall and closing against the same and provided with aprojecting 2.

a headon the outer. end of the pin having a tubular inwardly projectinghub the same v size as the cylindrical casing and formed withcorresponding cam faces.

3. A cap of the character described, comprising a cylindrical wall, alid hinged to the upper end of the wall, a spring-actuated,

radially movable, rotatable locking pin mounted on the wall and passingtherethrough and engaging said lid to hold it closed, a housingsurrounding the pin and provided with means engaging the pin for causinga retraction of the pin when the pin is rotated.

4. A cap of the character described, comprising an annular wall, a lidpivoted on the wall and closing against the same, a spring urging thelid to an open position, a keeper on the lid, a casing formed on saidwall and extending radially out therefrom, the outer end of said casingbeing formed with a cam face, a spring-actuated pin disposed within thecasing and projeotlng through said wall and engaging said keeper, a headon the outer end of the pin having an inwardly projecting hub formedwith a cam face corresponding to the cam face on the cylindrical casing.

5. A cap of the character described, comprising an annular wall, a lidhinged upon the upper end of the wall, a vertically disposed housingformed upon the wall, a vertically disposed spring located within thehousing and engaging said lid to force it open, a keeper on the lid, aradially extending casing formed upon said wall, a springactuated pinmounted in said casing and projecting through the wall and engaging saikeeper, and a head on the end of the pin, the extremity of the saidcasing and the opposed face of the head being formed with correspondingcam faces whereby the pin may be retracted upon a rotation of the head.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDMUND B. NELSON.

